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Germany - Sister Doris Engelhard

Bailliage of Germany
Mallersdorf-Pfaffenberg, June 25, 2021

Master Brewer at Mallersdorf Abbey
" since beer in Bavaria has a soul, this is about the real thing! "

Mallersdorf Abbey (Kloster Mallersdorf) was formerly a monastery of the Benedictine Order and is now a Franciscan convent. We are standing in front of the entrance door to its brewery, one of the most unusual breweries in Bavaria to meet Sister Doris Engelhard, a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs currently with the grade of Officier.

Sister Doris welcomes us with a white coif over her radiant, round face. She has been Master Brewer at the Abbey for a remarkable 55 years and is now acknowledged to be the last nun working in this capacity in Europe.

We'll get down to business quickly. This is not about exchanging pious thoughts, but about beer. And, since beer in Bavaria has a soul, this is about the real thing!

Under Sister Doris’ meticulous gaze, once a week around 80 hectolitres (2,100 gallons) of mash are brewed. The flavour-forming aroma of the hops fills the atmosphere with a delicious scent. You are in paradise here!

Sister Doris commenced a brewing apprenticeship in 1966. As a result of the humanity of the nuns who helped take care of her sick mother, in 1969 she took her vows to join the convent. In 1975, she became the Abbey’s Master Brewer, taking over from another Sister who had been brewing there since the 1930s.

In 1977 she was brewing 3,300 pints (1,875 litres) a year. Today, Mallersdorf brews about 100,000 gallons (circa 450,000 litres) of beer a year.

Sister Doris’ beers - “Zoigl”, “Helles” and “Heller Bock” - are fresh products. She does not believe in the thermal preserving treatment of the finished beer. This keeps the healthy ingredients and maintains taste - a unique selling point in today's brewing landscape. Accordingly, the beer is not exported, only being consumed locally.

The core message is beer makes you slim! Only the “side dishes” can make you fat! It also becomes philosophical: “remember you have to keep going as what you haven’t drunk on earth, the others will”. The humour is always present here.

Well then, “Bottoms up!”

Anton Röhrl
Vice-Chancelier, Bailliage of Bavière-Orientale


Klosterbrauerei Mallersdorf
Klosterberg 1
84066 Mallersdorf-Pfaffenberg
Germany

Tel.: +49 (0) 8772 69 184

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